Results 161-180 of 6,065 for speaker:Martin Conway

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I support Shane Hamilton and Ellie Woods, who are running a campaign with the Department of Education that Irish Sign Language should be part of the leaving certificate curriculum. We have Polish, Chinese and Ukrainian, for example. We have many languages, but we do not have our own Irish Sign Language as a subject for the leaving certificate. I think they are absolutely right. We need to...

Seanad: Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I support my colleague, Senator O’Reilly, whose points were on the money. I agree about the importance of what is being achieved with this Bill. It is long overdue, so I commend the Minister of State on bringing it this far. We essentially have a gambling regulator in place now. I would not be overly prescriptive in the legislation and would instead try to allow the regulator to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I thank Mr. Gunning and his team for attending. The last time Mr. Gunning was before the committee was July 2023. Much of the statement is probably in line with what was delivered then, except the figures have changed, the timelines have changed and it is getting more serious. Probably the saddest element of Mr. Gunning's statement is the fact there is not one room in the national...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: In 2018-2019, when the NPHDB got the approval for €1.4 billion, it was satisfied then. Why is Mr. Gunning so confident now that €1.88 billion is enough?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: On that, I note the frustration in Mr. Gunning's statement about the timelines. In the past 12 months alone, BAM has pushed out the completion date four times and the NPHDB has looked for further assurances and guarantees, but it is reasonable to expect that when one comes to the end of a project this size there will be further delays. Can Mr. Gunning sit before the committee and give us an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: It does.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: Is it fair to say Mr. Gunning has lost all confidence in BAM?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I understand and totally appreciate Mr. Gunning's frustration with that, but those watching have a realistic expectation of an indication from Mr. Gunning as to when. At this stage, we need to be as honest with people as possible. I believe Mr. Gunning is being, but it is realistic to expect that it will be at least 2027 before children will be treated in the hospital. One more delay would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: The confidence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: What about the 15% the NPHDB is retaining? Can that be increased under the contract?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: Mr. Gunning does not need to because if the answer is "No", it is "No" and it is in the contract.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I am interested in getting to understand the NPHDB's engagement with the Department of Health and the Minister. How regularly over recent months has Mr. Gunning met the Minister, the Secretary General or both within the Department to keep them apprised of this and to brief them on this developing situation? It would appear the Minister was only in a position to brief the Cabinet and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: Would she have weekly or biweekly meetings with the Minister?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I thank Mr. Gunning for our engagement this morning. I do not have any confidence that the project will not go further over budget and there will not be further delays, unfortunately.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I agree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: That is fine. Since-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: I agree with the Deputy's description of it as not a standard public works contract. Even those have issues at the moment. There is one just outside in the car park called the bike shed. This is something an awful lot more serious. It is the biggest capital commitment the Irish taxpayer has made in history, or certainly recent history. It is still mind-blowing to think no room is yet up...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: Mr. Devine is saying there is not a single room in the hospital that does anything that has been handed over yet. Not a kitchen or anything. It is just mind-blowing. On the disputed claims, one of the board's spreadsheets gives a figure of €497 million and then one of €957 million. Is it the case the board agrees there is a potential liability of €497 million,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: Has BAM acknowledged that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Construction of New National Children's Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (25 Sep 2024)

Martin Conway: Surely that is a simple thing all parties could agree. If that cannot be agreed then we will have serious problems in the immediate future. Would Mr. Gunning agree?